Deadly Illusion
by Alley McNally
Summary: Just one kiss is enough to make his life a living hell . . . *One Shot*


_**Hey all,**_

_**This is Alley here. I am finally back. In time for another story. This time this is a one-shot in the Superman universe. It all based off a scene within the Batman: Hush. Where Poison Ivy takes control of Superman. A pretty scary concept if you ask me. I played with the concept and this is what I came up with. It's a bit of a mind f*ck but I think that the end result is worth it. Enjoy!**_

* * *

A Kiss. That's all it was. A single unwanted kiss that threw Clark's life into chaos. He had tried to push her off, but he couldn't. It was not right to hit a woman. Even if that woman was a supervillain. Yes, he knew that was old fashioned, but Clark was that type of man. He did not kill and he did not hit women. So, that's how he ended up here. Poison Ivy kissed him with a special lipstick made just for him. Then before he knew it months flew by. God knows what he did or who he did it with. He honestly couldn't remember. Most of it was a blank.

What he did remember was the sounds of his phone ringing and ringing. Of voicemail after voicemail piling up until it filled up. Sometimes he played the voicemail. He could hear Lois or Batman or other Leaguers calling him. Asking him where he was. Honestly, he did not know. Which should have been a red flag. It should have brought him out of his stupor. Alas, it did not. He remained under Ivy's control. None of it mattered to him anymore. He couldn't seem to remember _why_ it ever mattered to him in the first place. She was his sun and his moon. He lived to serve her. He would do anything that she asked. He was her slave and he was fine with it. So long as she kissed him again he would give her the world.

It was a special kind of private hell. A part of him kept reminding him that this wasn't right. That he didn't love her. He loved _Lois_. And he served the people. It screamed at him to break free. To stop her. To not obey. That part of himself was easily suppressed by her kiss. Allowing him to ignore his pain and continue serving Ivy. Leaving him grateful to her. For some reason thinking of Lois only caused him great pain.

Slowly, he realized that something was wrong with Lois. Her voicemails came in more and more frequently. They were increasingly frantic yet cryptic. Which was so unlike her. She was worried about something. Or was it him? He couldn't really tell. And since the voicemail box was now filled up he couldn't really find out what. For some reason that mattered to him. He just couldn't remember why. No matter, Poison Ivy was his world now. Lois did not matter.

Then why the hell was he still listening to her heartbeat? It shouldn't matter now. Ivy was his main squeeze. Whether or not her heart skips a beat or there now seems to be two heartbeats instead of one it should not matter. Ivy was his heart and soul. _Wait, two heartbeats? Does that mean that Lois is pregnant?_ He listened again. Indeed, there was a second, faster heartbeat in her vicinity. It was too close to be a coincidence. It polluted the sound that her heart made. That was not possible she was not pregnant. She had to be. There was no other explanation. Lois was with child.

That fact made him swell with pride. He loved that idea. He was going to be a father. And yeah he did not doubt that he was the father. He knew Lois too well to think anything else. She would _never_ cheat on him. The child was his. He was certain of it.

Which presented a very real problem. That child was half-Kryptonian. That baby could kill her if she was not careful. If it had even an ounce of his strength then she was in danger. Even if it did not have his strength there could be trouble. Humans and Krypotians were two very different species. Even though they looked about the same. There could be a lot of complications for her and the baby. The fact that she was even able to conceive defied logic. Even Clark didn't know how that happened. Lois provably didn't have a clue on what to do. She was in a lot of trouble if he did not help her. He had to get to her _now_.

That's when that little voice inside him became a roar. His pain tripled. Soon, even Ivy's kisses couldn't silence it. He had to break free. He had to find Lois. He had to help her. He had to get his family back. He refused to obey Ivy any longer. He fought against her commands. He refused to do anything she said. He could not force his body to move on his own yet, but he was trying. At least he prevented it from going where Poison Ivy wanted him to go.

Of course, she tried to reassert control. She kissed him again. He could not prevent that. She tried to soothe him into compliance. Only he refused to listen. He did not move an inch. He did not respond to anything that she said. He just stood there - looking into space. Pissing off Ivy that much more.

"Move!" She screamed at him. "Move dammit!"

She took control of her trees. Turned the limbs into vines then began to smack him with them. It seemed that she forgot that he was invulnerable. He barely felt a thing. She should have thought of using synthetic-k as fertilizer. That way it would have really smarted. As is, it only served to help him focus. It allowed him to turn his attention away from her kiss and towards the sound of her attacks. All while listening to the sound of her increasingly frantic screams. Then he allowed his mind to wander. To think of Lois, our baby, and the sound of her voice. It gave him strength. It filled him with rage. He was being kept from her. That had to end _now!_ He had to break free.

He managed to look at the woman before him. He studied her. He noted how different she was from Lois. How she was inferior in every way. She sickened him. He realized that he hated her. He hated her than anyone else in that moment. He wanted to beat her senselessly. A feeling that he rarely ever felt towards women. Alas, he did not have that much control, yet. Instead, he watched with glee as he saw fear wash over her face. He laughed as he heard her heartbeat start to race. He was breaking free and there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She was absolutely terrified.

Sadly, he still did not have enough control to move anything more than his head. He still had a lot to push off. So he could not kick her ass. He had to wait. Until then he was a sitting duck. Although, he was a mere second or two away from regaining full control. He could feel it in bones.

Poison Ivy gave up trying to regain control. Instead, she opted to run away. Not that it made much of a difference. He managed to track her every movement. He noted where she went and what she was doing. She could not get away from him. He was _not_ Batman. he was not going to be kind. Not this time at least. She had to know _who_ she was messing with. That way she _never_ tried this again. he would not let her take her away from his family ever again. A few seconds past and he finally managed to break free. he tested his limbs. Made sure that he could use all of his powers. Then he set off after her.

He found her running like a rat. It seemed that she knew all about Lex's little sewer project. How he used his philanthropy to cover his true intentions. He managed to bribe enough politicians to look the other way as he lined the sewers with poisonous lead. They kept it off of the news cycle. Downplaying its effects. Even as they blasted him in the papers about it. Lois wrote some of her best work at that time. Not that it mattered since nobody seemed to care. They let him go ahead with the project anyway. Now, the sewers were nearly impossible to see through. A fact that almost every supervillain tried to take advantage of. They forgot that he had other, fully functioning senses to rely on. And that once he got down there he could easily spot them from a distance. So long as he ended up in the right tunnel that is. Which he pretty much always did. He did have superhearing after all. It was good for a few things. Not just the obvious. Poison Ivy could not escape now.

He was surprised by how quickly the battle ended. She barely managed to put up a fight. He refused to allow her to kiss him again. And there weren't many plant materials here to use. She was cornered. He had her right where he wanted her. She could not escape. He knocked her out then shipped her back to Arkham. He decided that Batman could sort her out. He wanted nothing more to do with her. She was just lucky that he didn't kill her. It took every ounce of self-control to prevent him from doing. Next time she may not be so lucky. She should really stay away from him. He had her number.

* * *

He caught up with Lois a short time afterward. She was indeed pregnant; very pregnant. It seemed that she was almost full term. It reminded him of how much time must have past. How much he had lost. He had to make up to them however he could. For now, he had to summon up his courage and go in. Hopefully, she would forgive him. He never intended to leave her. None of this was his idea.

"Just come in already," Lois said. "Don't float out there. It's creepy. People will talk."

He swallowed, "Yes, ma'am."

Lois had been sleeping on the bed. Which was odd since it was only mid-afternoon. Lois didn't tend to sleep in that late. And if he was to believe her PJs she hadn't been out of the house all day. He gave a quick once-over. Her ankles were way too swollen, and her blood pressure was too high. And he observed that she was having some difficulty sitting up. It was a bit concerning. he rushed to her side and helped her up. At first, she didn't want the help but gave in pretty quickly. Afterward, he sat down beside her.

Once she was in the sitting position she demanded. "Where were you?"

He didn't know what to tell her. he looked down. "I don't know."

"You don't know." She repeated. "How the hell can that be?"

"I was under Poison Ivy's control," I admitted. "I don't know where I was or what I was doing. I don't even know how long I was gone."

"Seven months," Lois told him. "You were gone for seven months."

"Seven months," He repeated, "Lois, I'm so sorry. Forgive me."

She leaned on his shoulder, "I know, Smallville. I know." She took a breath then continued. "I was really starting to worry about you. You just took off. Which isn't that unusual, but you were gone for a really long time. You weren't answering your phone. The League hadn't heard from you. And Batman couldn't track you down. I knew something was wrong, really wrong."

He wrapped his arm around her waist. "It was and I'm sorry. I heard you. I just couldn't breakaway. I tried but she just kissed him again. Then I was back to where I started."

"I don't understand, how did she get you? I thought that her lipstick doesn't work on you."

"It didn't use to. She upgraded it since then. Now it has a touch of synthetic-k. Which makes all the difference." He said bitterly. "I didn't stand a chance."

"At least I now know what it takes to keep you away. The hypnotic kiss of a psychopath. I guess I must be that irresistible."

He beamed at her, "The most beautiful girl in the world."

"Oh, I doubt that. Especially, right now."

"You're more beautiful than ever. I would be nothing without you. Thank you." He placed his hand on her belly then kissed her. He repeated, "Thank you."

The next hour or so they spent catching up. Going over in detail how the pregnancy was progressing. Apparently, Doctor Light had insisted on complete bed rest. Lois waved it off, but Clark was worried. He saw what the Doctor was concerned about: preeclampsia. Lois had two of the signs; high blood pressure and swollen ankles. She probably had the other too. Protein in the urine. He agreed with the doctor. She should rest. Not that Lois was any good at it. She was always on the move. Staying put and not working was probably driving her insane. It couldn't be helped though. This was serious. Her life and the life of their unborn son were at stake. She had to rest.

More than once Clark felt guilty of not being there. Of not monitoring their child as he grew. Making sure that his human and Kryptonian sides played nice. Clark was the expert in those matters. As much as anyone was anyway. Beyond that, he should have been there to watch over her. To go with her to see the doctor. To care of her when she needed help. He swore that he would never leave her side again.

Eventually, Lois mentioned that his parents were on their way. They had volunteered to take her back to the farm for a bit while she was grounded. The doctor had made it clear that she had to rest and be monitored. She couldn't do that by herself.

Sadly, her family wasn't much help. Her mother was dead. Lucy was in the military. And her father was on some secret project that he refused to divulge. She hadn't heard from him in months. Not since he had sent her a card congratulating her. That was it. He didn't call, he didn't reach out to her on the internet, he just left her alone. A fact that infuriated Clark. It was his god-dammed daughter! She needed his support. The least that he could was to show up.

In Samuel Lane's defense, he knew nothing about Clark. He just thought that he was some fool that his wayward daughter picked up. Lane did not know that Clark was Superman. Or that their child was half-Kryptonian. And with his general hatred of all things alien they were not in a rush to tell him. Besides, he already hated Clark. It could only make things worse by telling him the truth. Neither Clark nor Lois wanted to risk that. So, he was never told the true nature of her pregnancy. Just as Lucy was kept at arms-length. They could not be trusted. Even though they were family. It was truly pitiful.

Her father also did not know that Clark was missing. Lois had left that part out. She didn't report him missing. And since he somehow kept writing articles during that time (He had no idea how he was doing that) no one questioned his absence. After all, Clark tended to disappear for months at a time away. How was this any different than time? Surely, his coworkers didn't notice a thing. It was kind of sad if you thought about it. Sure, he knew that their lack of caring was by design, but sometimes it was nice to be missed. You know by someone outside of his family. Who were, coincidentally, the only people who knew of his predicament. Beyond the League that was. No one else knew. They just thought that he was "lost in the trenches." Either that or they just didn't notice. It was kind of sad. Clark Kent seemed to have little impact on the people around him. While Superman dominated the news cycle. There was no justice in the world.

Whatever the reason, the end result was that Lois was alone for far too long. Something that should have never happened. Not at a time like this. Clark was glad that his parents insisted on helping her. Even if it was not really needed anymore. He was glad that someone cared.

"It's not like that, Clark." Lois insisted. "I did have help. Kara and Conner stopped by frequently to help. Anytime I had a question or concern about Krypotian babies she was there. She tried her best, Clark. She's just not you."

That was the real problem here. It didn't matter if was his ma, pa, Kara, Conner or the League. None of them were him. He should have been there for her and his son. If only he had not snared by Poison Ivy then any of this would have happened. He would have watched over them every step of the way. Made sure that no one touched them. Monitored his son constantly for any of complications. He was a hybrid of two very different species. Surely, there would be problems. Clark should have been there. It was his responsibility to do so.

"Clark, stop. There is no point in beating yourself up. It won't change anything." Lois got up from the chair that she had been sitting on. She waddled over to Clark, then placed his hand on her stomach. "It doesn't matter. He is healthy. And soon, you're going to be a father. Shouldn't you focus on that?"

His attention turned back towards the baby inside her. It was his son, his son. No one else's. It was a miracle in of itself. It shouldn't be possible. Yet it was. He was a very lucky man.

"Hello, Jonathan." Clark whispered to him. "I'm your father."

Lois's eyebrow raised, "Jonathan? Clark, shouldn't you consult with me first? I mean, he is my son too, y'know."

He looked up at her. "Do you object to Jonathan?"

"No, it's a nice name. Although, it's a bit long for my tastes. I was thinking about Samuel myself."

"After your father?"

She nodded. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Then again he did not have the best relationship with Samuel Lane. He wasn't sure that he really wanted to name his son after him. Of course, he owed Lane so much. After all, he brought him Lois. Without her he would be lost. He was grateful for that. Even if 'the general' was an ass and a menace. He owed him. So Clark comprised.

"How about Jonathan Samuel Kent? We can name him after both of our fathers. How does that sound?"

Lois smiled, "Works for me."

His parents arrived a few hours later. After a long and tearful reunion, they settled down. It seemed that they accepted the situation as it was. Clark had been forced to stay away from his family. It had never been his intention to leave. He wanted to support and protect them. Not abandon them. It wasn't in his nature. It just made sense that it was all Poison Ivy's fault.

By the time they were finished catching up, Lois had fallen asleep. The fool refused to go to bed. Insisting on staying up for as long as possible. Even though it was very late and she was supposed to be taking it easy. Clark ended up carrying her to bed. He made sure that she was comfy. Then kissed her on her forehead. "Thank you, Lo, for everything. I love you."

He would have joined her but he was far too wound up. His mind was racing. The events of the last seven months had come crashing down upon him. He was not ready to sleep. If he tried right now he would fidget far too much. That could wake up Lois. That was the last thing that he wanted. She needed her sleep. Besides, he needed to clear his head. He did not want to bother her any more than he had to.

His father had fallen asleep by the time he left the bedroom. His mother was still awake. It seemed that the fourteen hour drive had not caught up with her yet. It would soon, but for now, it was nice just to have some company. He needed to talk and she was a great sounding board. She always was. Sometimes she was even better than Lois. Not that he would admit that freely. He didn't want Lois to get the wrong idea. He valued her council greatly. It's just sometimes a boy needed to speak to his mother.

Clark went out to the balcony. That way no one else would overhear them. He left the door open then waited for his mother to get the hint. Which she got pretty quickly. Before he knew it she was out there with him and the door was closed. For a long time, they stood there in silence. Finally, she said. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine. Just fine." He said bitterly. "One unwanted kiss and seven months fly by. All while doing god knows what. Meanwhile, you guys were on your own. There's no way that Lois should have gone through this alone. I should have been there. It was my responsibility. Not yours, not pa's, or anyone else's. She could have died. If that happened I don't know if I could ever forgive myself."

"But she didn't die, Clark. We made sure that Lois was okay. That she was never alone. Not even once. All she needed to do was ask for help and one of us would be there. Helping however we can."

Clark shook his head, "But Lois doesn't really ask for help. She tries to do everything herself. Even if it's obvious that she can't. She's always been like that. You have to practically force her to slow down sometimes."

His mother smiled. "We know. That's why we stayed in touch. Your father and I called her every week. While Kara and Conner made practically daily visits. We made sure that she visited the doctor; obeyed her orders; and that Lois was safe. We took care of her."

"I don't want to sound ungrateful, but it should have been me. I should have taken care of Lois. Not you, not Kara, not Conner, and certainly not Bruce. She's my wife and she's carrying my child. I should have been there. Not leaving her to wonder if I was dead or alive. I should have been there."

"Oh Clark." She placed her hand on top of his. "None of this is your fault, honey. If you could have then you would have been there. I know that. You know that. And what's more, Lois knows that! She doesn't blame you. No one does. So, stop blaming yourself."

He said nothing. He didn't know what to say. He knew that she was right. Yet, he couldn't quite absolve himself. A villain got the best of him. It was going to happen someday. He wasn't totally invulnerable. One of them was going to figure out how to get one over on him. He just didn't expect Poison Ivy to be the one to do it. Hell, he didn't even know that much about her. Batman was the one who usually dealt with her. She tended to stay in Gotham for whatever reason and Clark tended to stay away from there. They didn't cross paths very often. He didn't even go to Gotham the day she got him. She came to him. Attacked him in broad daylight. Then he planted a kiss that sent his life into a toilet. What that woman was thinking he did not know. But he planned to find out. Once he was certain that Lois and the baby were alright. He would not leave her side until he was born. It was the least that he could do to make it up to them.

Clark sighed, "I don't know if I can, Ma."

"Try honey." She begged. "Try for Lois. She needs you happy and joyful. Having a baby is a scary thing. Even if your child is not half-Krypotian. She needs to know that you're happy and that everything is okay. Even if it's not. It's weird how that works out. So try for her sake, okay?"

He swallowed hard. "I will, ma. I will."

* * *

The next day his parents headed home. Leaving them alone once again. Clark tried to heed his mother's advice, but it was hard. He always had a hard time forgiving himself for anything. Let alone this. Lois had made most of this journey alone. Which she should have never had to do. He should have been there with her. It seemed that he couldn't listen to his ma afterall. He still felt that he needed to make it up to her. Which is why he took Lois up to the Fortress not long after his parents left. He wanted to get an in depth scan of his son. He wanted to make sure that his powers had not activated yet. And he wanted to be certain that everything was okay. Even though Lois insisted that it was.

"I'm fine, Farmboy." Lois made a point to show him her bracelet. "Bruce made this. It contains just a touch of blue. It's not enough to affect you, but it should keep Jon quiet. And so far, he's right. I haven't had any major issues. Beyond that annoying blood pressure thing. Everything else is normal. So relax. Jon's fine, okay?"

He studied the bracelet and confirmed that there was indeed a sliver of blue kryptonite embedded in it. It was tiny. Far smaller than the piece that Bruce used to control Chris's powers. It seemed that he had learned from Chris's little explosion. He got it just right. Not too much. Not too little. It was about one third the size of what they used back then. Of course, Chris was fully Krypotian and a lot older than Jon. So it was hard to say if this was the correct amount. It could be too much. It could be too little. Or it could be completely unnecessary. Jonathan could have no powers at all. Just like his mother. It was hard to say. Only time would tell. In any case this was a precaution. Clark would not risk taking off the bracelet until his son was born.

Of course, the bracelet made him think of his other son, Chris. The boy whom he adopted then lost. It didn't matter that he was the son of his enemy. In Clark's mind, Chris was his son. Nothing would change that. He loved Chris. And it hurt thinking about what happened to him. No one deserved to be trapped in the Phantom Zone. It was a truly awful place. Clark wished that he could go back and get him out. Alas, the zone was sealed now. Chris made sure of that. There was no way to get him back. He was stuck there until the end of time. Another person that he failed.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Clark lied. He used his best fake smile to cover up his lament. "It's beautiful. I will have to thank Bruce for this when I get the chance. I owe him big time."

"Don't change the subject, Smallville." Lois grumbled. She did not believe him. It was scary how she saw him sometimes. "Now, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Hardly worth mentioning." He caved in once he saw her look. "I was just thinking about Chris, that's all."

Her eyes softened. She took his hand into hers then promised. "This time it's going to be different. We'll make sure of it."

Clark kissed her after that. Somehow that woman always managed to surprise him. Even after all these years. "Thank you, Lois, for everything."

He helped Lois up on the bed then got to work. He may an in-depth scan of his son. Then compared it to the other scans that Kara had made. They showed that he looked like almost completely normal. He was progressing slightly slower than a human fetus. However, he was also progressing a touch faster than a Kryptonian. Falling somewhere in between. Which made sense considering his mixed heritage. There the signs of hypertension that doctors noted in Lois. Which was being addressed already. No drugs or hospitalization was needed as of this moment. Clark intended to keep it that way. He was going to enforce that bedrest order. That way he did not have to worry as much..

There was still the issue of his birth. So far, Jon had not shown any signs of his father's powers. Which was good, but still that may change during childbirth. Jon will have his first taste of unfiltered sunlight. That might activate his powers. Lois's charm may stop working. He may hurt Lois by accident. Or something else may happen related to his mixed heritage. It might be that the safest way to give birth is via c-section. That way it is not prolonged. Which would put either Lois or their son at risk. That was the last thing that Clark wanted. They were his world. He would not let them get hurt.

"Alright, spill it Smallville. Am I going to live?" Lois half-jokingly asked him. Breaking Clark out of his thoughts.

Clark smiled. "Yes, ma'am. You and Jon are perfectly healthy."

"Then what's the issue?" Before he could say anything she cut him off. "And don't bother lying to me. I know you, Clark. Something's bothering you. I can see it on your face. I need to know what's going on."

There was a moment of silence then he started to explain his worries. He explained the possible complications. He told her that a natural birth may be too risky. "You may want to consider a c-section. It would shorten the birthing process and make it a lot safer. The last thing that I want to do is lose either of you."

Lois cut him off by placing her hand on his face. "And you won't, Clark. We'll be just fine. We have you and the whole Justice League on our side. What could go wrong?"

Clark smiled. He had almost forgotten about the vast resources of the Justice League. From Bruce Wayne to Oliver Queen, they had the resources. They even had several reputable and trustworthy doctors. Most of which were on the payroll of either Billionaire. He could rely on them to help him take care of Lois. As his wife, she eligible to take advantage of the League's medical staff.

She just rarely ever needed it. That's all. Lois was human and had no powers. Plus, she was well insured by the Daily Planet. There usually was no need to seek the League's help. Only Clark needed medical assistance from the League once and a great while. Beyond that they were good. They didn't need to ask for help. However, this was different. Sure, Clark knew the Krypotian side of things but he didn't know the human. He was not a doctor. He didn't study anatomy or medicine in great detail. He couldn't really help Lois if things went south. He could only help Jonathan. That was not good enough. He needed an expert in human biology when Lois gave birth. That way he didn't lose them both. He was glad that League was pitching in on this.

"If you keep brooding like this you'll end up like Batman." Lois teased, snapping him out of his thoughts again.

"Wouldn't want that," Clark said. "I wouldn't want to live in that cave. It's too dark and creepy."

"Do you do the same thing!"

"I do not!"

Lois shook her head. "Look at this place?! It's cold, isolated, and alien. It's hardly a warm and inviting place, y'know. Yet you hide here an inordinate amount of time. How is this any different?"

He sighed. "Lois, I am an alien!"

"You don't seem like that to me."

She really meant it too. Lois really had forgotten that he was an alien. How Clark did not know. It was so obvious that it was ridiculous. Then again, she was Lois, so it was possible. She wasn't really good at the sensitive stuff. He loved her, but she was an idiot sometimes.

"Well, I am different, Lois. Not a day goes by where I am not reminded of it. What I wouldn't give to be one of you. To be an average Joe, just trying to get by. Instead, I have to constantly worry about all kinds of things. Like not hurting anyone by mistake or keeping you safe." He pulled her to his side. "Lois, nothing is more important to me than you and the baby. I don't want to put you at risk. However, because of my heritage that's not going to happen. Jonathan could easily kill you and it will be my fault."

Lois shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, Smallville. I knew the risks going in. I knew that being married to you wouldn't be easy. Just as I knew that having this baby would be dangerous. I don't care. I want this baby and I want you. No one made me do this. I made my choice. Don't you dare belittle me by pretending otherwise."

Clark was at a loss for words. He wondered what he did to deserve a woman like her. Finally, he said, "Lois, thank you."

Lois shifted uncomfortably. "It's no big deal, okay?"

He shook his head. "Whatever you say, Lois."

He didn't care. There was no way that he was going to argue with her on this. So, he let it go. Besides, he had more important things to do. Like take the lady home and show her how much he loved her. How grateful he was to her. He was in heaven.

Before he could do any of that she kissed him. Which sent his mind reeling. She got real close "Darling, I need your help with something."

He looked at her surprised. Why wouldn't he do as she said? He would do anything for her! "What is it, Lois?"

"There's an imposter at our home. Pretending to be me. She's trying to hurt us. Clark, darling, please kill her."

Clark did not know why he did not question Lois on this. He should have. Lois would never ask him to kill. She hated killing about as much as he did. Plus, why was there an imposter at home? None of it made sense. Yet, it made perfect sense. Lois and Jonathan were in danger. He had to act. He had to kill that imposter!

He left Lois at the Fortress then headed south towards home. He changed into his suit along the way. He didn't quite know why though. If the imposter was at their home then she already knew the truth about him. This was pointless. Yet, he felt that he needed to arrive as Superman, not Clark. Odd, but it didn't honestly matter much. He needed to protect Lois and Jon. The rest was immaterial. Even killing didn't seem so bad. So, long as they were safe.

He burst into his home to find a woman who looked just like Lois. Only, she wasn't pregnant and she looked worse for wear. Her eyes were puffy like she had been crying recently. Her clothes were a bit ruffled and her hair greasy and a complete mess. Coffee cups were strewn through the place. As if she had been trying to keep herself up for days. Why he did not know. Nor did he care. She was a threat to his family. She had to go.

The woman looked up at him in total shock. She said, "Smallville, you're home! Where have you been?"

He ignored the woman's pleading tone. Just as he ignored her desperate search for recognition on his face. When she found none, her body stiffened. Her actions became slow and deliberate. As if she was trying not to tip her hand at what she was about to do. He realized that the woman was afraid of him. That felt good. Too good. Yes, he wanted her to suffer. To know fear before the end. That way no one would mess with his family again.

Lois went to him. She touched him then begged. "Clark, it's me: Lois, don't you recognize me?"

He looked at the woman. She looked like Lois. She talked like Lois. However, she was not Lois. No matter how much she protested. "You're an imposter." Clark finally said. "A fake. Someone who is trying to ruin my family."

That seemed to hurt her in a way that he did not expect. Her face said it all. His words stung. They drove fear into her heart. She slunk back, but he would not let her. Clark grabbed her by the throat then picked her up. She struggled against his grip but to no avail. There was no way that his human could escape his grasp. He was going to end it now!

Suddenly, she stopped struggling and fumbled for something in her pocket. A small lead-lined box dropped out of it. He recognized it immediately. It was the box full of kryptonite that Clark insisted that Lois keep. Just in case such situations should arise. It hit the floor. Causing the box to fall open. Revealing its contents. Pain washed over him. Causing him to drop her and slink back.

It took her a second to recover. She coughed and coughed. Finally, she managed to grab the box. She held it open and faced him. "I'm sorry, Clark, but I don't have a choice. Please, snap out of it!" She coughed again. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let you do this. Clark, It's me! Lois! I don't know where you've been or who told you to do this, but you have to fight this! You don't kill. You don't!" She swallowed hard, which seemed to cause her pain. "Clark, listen to me! Please!"

His mind started to clear. For the first time, he looked at the woman before him. Really looked at her. She didn't just look like Lois she talked like her. She smelled like her. She acted like her. That was hard to effectively do. Lois's behavior could be so erratic at times that it was hard to organically copy it. Like the thousand and one cups of coffee. Not everyone knew that Lois lived and died by the stuff. Her addiction was so overpowering that even Clark could not free her from it. She refused to give it up. Even when he asked. They might get a coffee cup or two, but they would not know to get twenty or thirty then throw it around the apartment. The place was so neat and tidy one might think that Lois was a neat freak. She wasn't. Clark was the one who kept the place clean. She kept messing it up. As the current state of affairs suggested. Everything was a mess. As if it had been weeks since the last good clean. That spoke volumes about her. Why didn't he notice it before? It was like something was keeping him from noticing.

She seemed more real than the Lois whom he left at the Fortress. Why he did not know. She couldn't be real. She had to be fake. His Lois was pregnant. She was not. It couldn't be real. She couldn't be real! However, when he looked x-rayed her he realized that she was, in fact, Lois Lane. Everything was correct from childhood surgeries to broken bones that have long healed. They all matched up with the woman that he loved perfectly. A look at her DNA confirmed what his senses were telling him for a while. This was Lois Lane. This was his wife! This was all a lie. He was still under Poison Ivy's control. This was all a lie.

"Lois . . ." He began. "Lois, Lois . . .!"

For some reason, something was keeping him from completing his thought. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break free. He could not break free!

Lois closed the box then went to him. "I'm here, Smallville. I'm here." She took his hand into hers. "I've always been here. Please, listen to the sound of my voice. Come back to me!"

Clark found the strength to kiss her. For one long moment, he was at peace. Everything made sense. The Lois that he left in the Fortress was a delusion. This Lois was real. He would not obey Poison Ivy anymore. He was free!

He asked, "Are you hurt?"

She smiled and tried to pretend that her voice was not hoarse. "I'm fine. It just smarted a little."

"Lois!"

"I'm okay. Really, I am. I'm just glad that you're okay now." She coughed again.

She really stunk at convincing him that she was fine. However, she was not going to admit that he really hurt her. She didn't want him to feel any worse. Which did not help the situation one bit. He decided to change the subject.

"How long was I gone?"

"Three weeks. No one could find you. Not me, not the Daily Planet, nor the League. I thought you had died again on me."

"I'm sorry, Lois, for everything."

Lois gave him a sad smile. "It's okay. You weren't yourself. You're not to blame."

"Poison Ivy." He cursed.

"Poison Ivy?" Lois asked. "Was she . . .?"

Clark nodded. "She was the one to lure me out on my own. Then she gave me a kiss that I would never forget. It seems that she has improved her lipstick recently. Added a little green to it." He shook his head. "I never stood a chance."

She took his hand into his. "I'm sorry, Clark. I wish I could have helped."

"But you did, Lois. You saved me!"

She squirmed a little as if she was uncomfortable with such praise. "Well, good. Next time, please don't make me take out the box. I really hate that thing."

"Well, I don't. If it keeps you safe . . . in the event of something like this . . . then I am fine with it. Lois, nothing is more important than you. Pain doesn't matter so long as I don't hurt you."

She shook her head. "Well, I wish that it wasn't necessary."

"As do I."

They sat down on the couch."So, what was it like?"

"Like?" He asked.

"Y'know, to be in heaven?"

He looked at her. He had no idea what she was talking about. "Lois, what are you . . .?"

She got really close. Close enough to kiss him. Yet, she didn't. Instead, she whispered. "I showed you a world beyond your imagination. Now, how was it? Do you prefer this world instead?"

Suddenly, Clark realized that this woman wasn't Lois. She never was. He also realized that she was not Poison Ivy either. "Who are you?"

She laughed. "I am whoever you want me to be! Poison Ivy, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, I can be any of them. Whatever your kink is, I can be it! All you need to do is guide me. It's your thoughts that shape this world, not mine. You can do whatever you like. To whomever you like. Want to kill Lex? Sure, why not? He's not real anyway! There are no consequences here. Just eternal bliss!"

He pulled away. "What do you want?"

She smiled. God, how hated her smile. It was just how Lois smiled. He wished that she would lose that face. "It can be done, y'know. I can change my image to one that suits you better. Perhaps, Lori Lemaris is more your style?"

She changed her image to be that of his old girlfriend. A mermaid that he hadn't seen in years. Yet, she was exactly as he remembered her. It was downright creepy. Clearly, she was reading his thoughts.

"What do you want?" He reiterated.

She looked at him as if he was asking something weird. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Just to make you happy, Superman. Is there a problem with that?"

"You think that this makes me happy?"

She tilted her head. It was so robotic that it was crazy. "It does not?"

"No!" He screamed. "Why would it?"

For one long moment, she was completely and utterly quiet. Her eyes moved back and forward as if she was reading something. Yet, there was nothing to read. It was disturbing to say the least. Finally, she stopped and looked up at him.

"I see in your thoughts that this is correct. You are unhappy. I have made an error. My apologies. That was not my intent."

"Who? What are you?"

Again, another odd look. "Superman, I am what you made me be. An interactive construct. Intended to help you deal with the loneliness."

"Loneliness? What loneliness?"

Another long pause. "Superman, your world is dead. Only you survive. The others perished years ago. You couldn't take it. So, you created me. A being whose sole purpose is to recreate what you lost. Only, it became corrupt. You started to struggle against me. Rejected any reality that I gave you. No matter how pleasant."

"So, I took the role of your adversary. First, as villains such as Metallo and Lex Luthor. Later, I discovered that a more feminine touch was required. As such, I started trying out female villains. None of them worked. That is until I stumbled upon Poison Ivy."

Her image changed back into that of Poison Ivy. "You did not know her very well. Since she was your friend's enemy more than she was yours. Your mind did not have much on her. Which was an opportunity too good to pass up. I searched the Fortress's records and pieced together a passable image. It did not have to be as complete as the others since you did not know her well. Your mind would accept her as real. Unlike the others."

Clark shook his head. "What you are telling me is hard to believe. Why would I do this?"

Her head tilted again. "I do not know. I am a machine. I am designed to read and emulate emotions, but I do not fully understand them. Why does loneliness matter? Why does the loss of your wife hurt you so? Why do you still pine for her? I have tried to understand, but I have failed."

"Release me." He whispered.

She nodded. "As you wish. I will return you to your reality."

* * *

The world faded and Clark found himself inside his fortress. The first thing that he noticed was his hands. They were old and wrinkled. As he got up, he found aches and pains that he didn't remember having before. It made him wonder how many years had he been inside that imaginary world? Twenty, thirty, fifty? He honestly did not know. How time had he lost?

The next thing that he noticed was the quiet. Sure, he could hear animals and other natural phenomena, but he could not hear people. Even in his hideaway, he should hear some human activity. Even if it is miles away. Yet, he heard nothing. The world was utterly silent. It was unnatural and disturbing.

He hobbled over to the computer to find out what in the hell was going on. What he found disturbed even more. Great cities were reduced to rubble. With trees and plants trying to finish the job. Its own residents were now wild animals. Some of which were descendants of domestic animals once kept as pets. Not a single person was to be found. The world was intact, but there was simply no one to live in it. It was a dead world for all intents and purposes.

As Clark viewed the images his memory started to come back. He remembered the day that Lois told him that she was pregnant. A miracle that should have been not possible. And yet he was born without any complications at all. He remembered seeing his son for the first time. Holding in his arms. He was never happier than he was that day.

Then there was a crisis on Kandor. His Aunt called him away. She insisted that only he could address the situation. It didn't matter that he had a newborn son. It didn't matter that there was a planet full of Krypotians to help her deal with the problem. She wanted her nephew on Kandor now! So, he reluctantly left them behind.

He did not realize that he would never see them again. For when he returned he found a dead world. Everyone that he cared for was gone. Including Lois and Jonathan. He found no traces of them. No matter how long and hard he searched never found any bodies. They were simply gone. It took him years to give up the search. Honestly, Clark couldn't remember how long he searched. He lost track. They just merged into one long, horrible, nightmare. He missed his family. He worried about them. He had no idea where they went. If they went anywhere at all. It was more than likely that they died. A fact that Clark did not even want to consider. He refused to answer any calls from Kandor. Kept to himself as he searched. All while he blamed himself for their disappearance. He should have been there. He should have protected them. Or he should have shared their fate.

He didn't care. Anything would be better than this purgatory. For years he wanted to die. Alas, his body aged at an incredibly slow rate. Even slower now that he no longer fought supervillains for a living. He wanted to end it all. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to end it. Nor would his body give out on him. It was hell.

Finally, after nearly fifty years he gave up. He stopped looking for the dearly departed. He just stopped. Instead, he threw himself into a special project: The Interactive Construct. It was artificial intelligence patterned off of Brainiac. Only, it's purpose was to simply create an artificial environment for his mind to escape to. It would adapt to his moods and desires. It would try to be a companion that he so badly needed. Help him forget the reality of his existence. Allow him to believe that Lois and the others were still alive. Let him live out his Superman fantasy. Let him believe that none of this had come to pass.

And it worked. For years, his mind lived inside that world. Gradually he forgot that the world died at all. He began to believe that the world he saw before him was real. That Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and the Justice League were all alive once again. He was himself again. He had meals with Lois. Argued with Bruce. And fought injustice wherever he went. He was happy.

Then the cracks began to show. Things that didn't line up just right. Words or phrases out of place. Or odd inconsistencies out of the corner of his eye. If he had remembered the nature of that world he would have forgiven it. Realized that the Construct was doing her best with incomplete data/resources. Alas, he did not remember. So, he treated like a threat. He started to fight against the Construct and the world that she created. Forcing her to become ever adaptive.

That was how he ended with the Poison Ivy nightmare. She needed to find a reason for the incongruities of the world. She needed to find someone that he didn't know very well. Whom he would accept as real. She must have searched the database and found information on Dr. Lillian Rose. AKA, Poison Ivy. A woman that Bruce was far more acquainted with than Clark. All he knew was the basics. Including that she liked to control her victims with hypnotic lipstick. If one was to add a little kryptonite to it even she could control Clark. In other words, she was the perfect villain to become his adversary. Since he would take all of what she said and did as real. Allowing him to hold on to this imaginary world a bit longer.

Something that she should not have done. He did not want to live in another nightmare. Even if it was a nicer one than the one that he left behind. It was better to wake him. Allow him to remember what he had lost. And maybe this time finally morn. Alas, the Interactive Construct was a machine. She didn't understand emotional beings such as himself. She could not be blamed for what happened. She simply followed his programming. If anyone was to blame then it was him.

This fantasy should have ended years ago. It was time that he accepted reality as it was. To stop hiding and wishing it all away. It was time to accept that they were never coming back. It was time to end it. Really end it. It was time to die.

He rigged up a chamber to emit radiation that would take his powers. He used golden kryptonite that Bruce had hidden away to do it. Then he set the fortress to self-destruct. Taking him out with it. Soon it would be all over. His pain, his torment, and his loss. He just needed to wait a few moments.

For the first time in years, Clark felt joy. True, unfettered joy. For he was about to finally join Lois and Jon. He was not going to be alone anymore. He was free.

He smiled, "Lois, Jon, wait for me. I'll be there soon."

Then the world exploded and he felt no more pain.

* * *

_**Well, that's it for this story. Please let me know what you think in the reviews! Thank you.**_


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